The habits of Italians, including when it comes to mobility, are changing. More telling than the numbers themselves (electric car sales in 2019 stood at 0.5 per cent, despite an encouraging increase of 111 per cent), it is the annual Istat basket that every year revises the list of products most purchased by Italians. And the most striking novelty emerges in the calculation of the so-called HICP index, which considers a basket of 1,681 products.

When electric mobility becomes a habit

The update of the goods and services included in the basket, explains the note from the National Institute of Statistics, takes into account new developments in the spending habits of families, as well as changes in regulations and classifications. In particular, it is interesting to note how the introduction of new products is representative of the evolution in the spending habits of Italians. Specifically, the Istat basket 2020 includes for the first time electric cars and hybrid vehicles, as well as micro-mobility represented by its most prominent example, the electric scooter, which has been at the centre of no small amount of controversy over its use.

Car market: electric and hybrid rise, diesel falls

As mentioned, the inclusion of electric mobility in the Istat basket does not necessarily paint an encouraging picture of mobility in Italy. According to data released by Unrae, 10,566 electric cars were sold in our country in 2019, representing 0.5 per cent of the national car market. The positive figure remains, however, with a sales increase of +111 per cent compared to 2018, a figure also driven by the effect of government incentives. The ranking of best-selling electric cars saw the Smart EQ and Renault Zoe among the most in-demand models, followed by the Tesla Model 3 and the Nissan Leaf: "The entry of e-mobility into the Istat basket reflects a new lifestyle and way of driving," commented Bruno Mattucci, president of Nissan Italia, who stressed how new electric models are increasingly appealing thanks to greater range, lower running costs and the advantages they offer in the event of traffic restrictions. The problem of charging infrastructure remains, though this is expected to receive a stronger boost in 2020.